Neena Gill was born in Ludhiana, Punjab, India, and emigrated to the United Kingdom with her family when she was ten years old. Her father was a businessman.
Gill began working in a library at the age of 16. She graduated with a bachelor's degree in social studies from Liverpool John Moores University in 1979, where she also served as vice president of the students union.
In 1984, she obtained a postgraduate professional qualification from the Chartered Institute of Housing, and in 1996, she completed the senior executive programme at the London Business School.
Gill's initial career path included a brief stint as a trainee accountant before she transitioned to become a housing officer at Ealing London Borough Council. At the age of 29, she became the chief executive of ASRA Group, making her the first female, first non-white, and youngest chief executive of a UK housing association.
She later served as the chief executive of Newlon Housing Group.
Before Labour's electoral success in 1997, Gill collaborated with Labour's shadow cabinet members to develop the party's social policy.
In 1999, Gill was elected as the first female Asian Member of the European Parliament (MEP), representing the West Midlands. During her tenure, she held several prominent positions, including President of the Delegation for Relations with India and the Delegation for Relations with South Asia and SAARC countries.
She also served on the Legal Affairs Committee and the Budgets Committee.
After an unsuccessful bid for re-election in 2009, Gill worked as the vice president for corporate affairs (Europe and Asia Pacific) for the software company SAS.
Gill returned to the European Parliament in 2014, re-elected as one of two Labour MEPs for the West Midlands, alongside Sin Simon. During this term, she was a member of the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs and the special committee on tax rulings, financial crimes, tax evasion, and avoidance.
She also served on delegations for relations with India and the United States and was the rapporteur for the 2015 European Money Market Funds (MMF) Regulation.
In 2017, Gill received the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman, the highest honour for non-resident Indians, from the Indian government. She was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2017 New Year Honours and became an honorary fellow of Liverpool John Moores University in July 2018.
Gill was re-elected in the 2019 European parliamentary election as the sole Labour MEP for the West Midlands. She continued her work on the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs and joined the delegation for relations with Japan as Chair and the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly as Vice-Chair and S&D Co-ordinator.
Neena Gill married Dr. John Towner, an environmental consultant, in 1982.
They have one son and divorced in 2009. Gill resides in London, England.
She remains active in various roles, including as Chair of Sikhs for Labour and Trustee of Lumos.
The Labour Party is a prominent political force in the United Kingdom, characterized by its alignment with social democracy and democratic socialism. Situated on the centre-left of the political spectrum, Labour has played a significant role in British politics since its founding in 1900.
Emerging from the trade union movement and socialist parties of the 19th century, it initially served to represent the interests of the working class.
As of the last general election in 2019, Labour holds the position of the Official Opposition in the UK Parliament, having secured the second-largest number of seats. It is the largest party in the Welsh Parliament and the third-largest in the Scottish Parliament.
Internationally, Labour is affiliated with the Party of European Socialists and the Progressive Alliance and holds observer status in the Socialist International.
The Labour Party, under the leadership of Sir Keir Starmer, is focused on restoring economic stability to the UK. They advocate for strict fiscal policies to prevent unnecessary expenditures, promoting transparency and efficiency through new oversight bodies like the Covid Corruption Commissioner and an Office for Value for Money.
Their economic plan is designed to contrast with the perceived instability under the Conservative Party, emphasizing responsible financial management and targeted investments for growth.
Labour criticizes the current government for reducing the UK’s defense capabilities and outlines a plan to revitalize the nation's military resources. The party proposes a comprehensive Strategic Defence and Security Review, supporting the armed forces more robustly, and establishing an Armed Forces Commissioner to ensure the security of the nation and uphold the interests of military personnel.
The party plans a significant overhaul of the UK's immigration and border security systems, aiming to create a more efficient and secure framework. Labour’s strategy includes enhancing the enforcement of border laws, dismantling human trafficking networks, and improving the asylum system to ensure it is both cost-effective and secure.
Labour intends to undertake substantial reforms within the National Health Service (NHS) to address inefficiencies and the backlog caused by Conservative policies. The plan includes investments in healthcare infrastructure such as more MRI and CT scanners, and increasing the number of healthcare professionals to provide better service and care.
Tackling crime and enhancing community safety are central to Labour’s agenda, with plans to increase the police presence and introduce new community policing measures. The party emphasizes preventive strategies, especially focusing on youth crime and the root causes of antisocial behavior, to foster safer communities.
Labour commits to transformative educational reforms to ensure equitable opportunities for all. These reforms include recruiting more teachers, overhauling the curriculum, and investing in school infrastructure to equip students for modern challenges and ensure access to high-quality education and lifelong learning opportunities across the country.
In response to environmental concerns and the energy crisis, Labour advocates for establishing a new publicly-owned clean energy company and expanding renewable energy resources. This initiative aims to reduce dependency on foreign energy, combat climate change, and stimulate economic growth through the creation of sustainable jobs.
The Labour Party, led by Keir Starmer, with deputy leader Angela Rayner, and General Secretary David Evans, positions itself as a centre-left party, embodying social democratic and democratic socialist ideologies. Founded in 1900, Labour has grown from its trade union roots to become a major political force in the UK, advocating for social justice, economic reform, and public service enhancement.
The party maintains active branches across the UK, including Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, and engages with various international socialist and social democratic groups, reflecting its commitment to broad-based, progressive policies.
Labour advocates for a blend of social democracy and democratic socialism, aiming to balance market economics with social welfare policies. It promotes government intervention in the economy, fair distribution of wealth, and comprehensive public services, including healthcare and education.
The party maintains close ties with the Co-operative Party, with many Labour MPs sitting in Parliament as Labour Co-operative representatives. While it supports the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) in Northern Ireland, Labour continues to organize and maintain a presence there, adapting its strategies to address both local and national issues effectively.
Overall, the Labour Party remains a key player in shaping the political, social, and economic landscape of the United Kingdom, committed to advancing the principles of fairness, equality, and social justice.